When he was growing up, Justin Bolasci spent a lot of time going to the races with his father. Starting at the age of somewhere around 3, he accompanied him regularly on trips to The Meadowlands, and whenever his dad cashed a ticket, young Justin got to keep any $1 bills returned with the winnings.
“I rooted for him to win every race,” Bolasci said with a laugh. “He loved the ponies. He loved to bet on the horses, he loved the sport. As a little kid growing up, I loved it too.”
Bolasci’s father always wanted to own a horse, but never did. After his dad passed away two years ago, Bolasci decided he would get involved in harness racing as an owner as a tribute to him and fulfill that dream. In 2020, he partnered with trainer John McDermott to become co-owner of four horses, and he has added five more this year.
Among that group is a 2-year-old male pacer competing Friday in one of three eliminations of the MGM Springfield Stakes at Yonkers Raceway. The horse is Hurrikane Chuck, named in memory of Bolasci’s dad.
“I’m excited,” Bolasci said. “I’m sure he’s watching.”
Hurrikane Chuck, by Huntsville out of All The Buzz, has raced twice this season. He finished fourth in a division of the Tompkins-Geers Stakes in his debut at The Meadowlands on June 19 and won a division of the New York Sire Stakes at Buffalo Raceway on June 30.
The colt is the 2-1 morning-line favourite in the third of the three $25,000 Springfield eliminations. The first two finishers in each elimination, plus the two third-place finishers with the fastest individual times in each elimination, return for the final on July 16.
“He’s a great boy,” said Bolasci, who shares ownership of Hurrikane Chuck with Jonathan Klee Racing, William Garofalo, and Peter Kleinhans. “He had a great race the other day and we’re excited to watch him develop.”
Hurrikane Chuck was purchased under the name Bandera Buzz for $21,000 at the Goshen Yearling Sale. In addition to the NYSS and Springfield, the colt is eligible to the Kindergarten Classic Series.
“Next year, I have him staked a little heavier,” McDermott said. “We’re very happy with him so far, he’s a very nice horse. He loves his job. He’s good gaited and everything, but he just never has a bad day. He goes out and does it every day and is as pleasant as can be.”
Bolasci, a 36-year-old New Jersey resident who still lives near The Meadowlands, didn’t get to see his horses in person as often as he would have liked last year because of the COVID-19 pandemic but is thoroughly enjoying his experience as an owner.
“When one of the horses wins, there is no feeling like it,” he said.
Hurrikane Chuck will start the Springfield elimination from post four with driver Tyler Buter. His elim features two other horses coming off pari-mutuel wins, Paula Wellwood-trained Wolftrax and Ron Burke’s River Ness. Wolftrax, the 5-2 second choice from post 1, captured a conditioned race while River Ness, 7-2 from post 8, won the Tompkins-Geers division that included Hurrikane Chuck.
The 5-2 morning-line favourite in the first elimination is Travis Alexander’s Pleaseletmeknow, who debuted with a second-place finish in a NYSS division. The 5-2 choice in the second elim is Stretch The Line, who is coming off a Landmark Stakes triumph for Erv Miller.
Racing begins at 7:15 p.m. (EDT) Friday (July 9) at Yonkers.
(USTA)